A New Wreath

Yesterday I was asked about our Christmas decorating tradition and I said that we choose to put up our tree on December 24. It is really quite a fun tradition and a rich one that includes delicious omelets, listening to Lessons and Carols live from King's College in Cambridge, opening gifts, and wonderful company.

She asked, "So what do you do the other 23 days of December?"  I said, "We do Advent."

This year I did what I should have done years ago and put together a new advent wreath and candles.

We were given a wreath on our wedding day and it is the kind that only holds those tiny tall taper candles, and this one barely held even those in place. They constantly broke in half, never lasted for the season of Advent, and just plain didn't look good.  I didn't care much for the form of the wreath itself.

In the spirit of frugality and beauty I made a change. I shopped for tall glass holders for candle inserts that would last year after year. I found some at St. Pat's Guild for a great price.  To ensure that I could use the candles for more seasons throughout the year, I bought clear holders and white candles.  Michael's supplied the ribbon and the rest just fell into place. I wanted to use real greenery and have that "Christmas tree" aroma at our table. I stopped at a tree sale by the side of the rode expecting to shell out a few bucks for garland. When I told the lady what I intended to use it for, she pointed to some branches on the ground freshly cut from the top of a tree. I could take them at no cost.  I was giddy. They were just what I wanted and free.

The girls and I took a few minutes this morning to construct the wreath and decorate the candles. We choose a simple design.  Tape seemed to be our only option for connecting the ribbon, but we didn't want it to show. Double sided tape would have worked beautifully, but ours has been hiding out in some dark corner of a closet for months now.  So, I thought of using sewing pins instead. My daughter rummaged through the Altoids box of pins I have and found some to match the ribbon.  Good call.

Now we have a more functional, longer lasting, and dare I say, a bit more classy Advent wreath.

Yes, we do Advent these days. And it is fun!

Clutter Be Gone

I have been taking extra moments here and there to go through boxes and bins in the basement. We are attempting to prep the area for a possible new bedroom, bathroom and laundry area. Those details have yet to be determined and scheduled, but in the meantime I plan to make space and clean house. It has proven beneficial so far. I have several extra and empty bins just lying around. Our outdoor trash bin is full and it only gets picked up on Friday. That's several days yet of garbage and we share the bin with our neighbors (to keep costs down). You do the math.

Anyway, I was forwarded this blog and ran across this posting about How To Clutter Your Home. There are 15 suggestions here for sure ways to add clutter chaos to your living space.

One particular thing I have done in the past is label or set something aside because of its assumed value for the family down the road. Most of these things are actually something sentimental, that I want us all to share in at some lovey dovey sentimental time in the future. But, let's face it. If I really don't need it now, there is very little chance I will absolutely need it in the future.

And, one thing I am convinced of lately is the need for practicing and perfecting our story telling. We can "hand things down" with a rich oral tradition. No need to store the stories anywhere but in our heads. Sure, some details may be changed or altered, intentionally or not, but that's part of the fun, I think.

Not everything is garbage material. It seems there is a reasonable amount of things you ought to keep for their value of holding memories and sentiment. But, I think much could be weeded out and turned into a really good story.

I also find it is hard to get rid of things I no longer use but paid good money for. I like calculating in my head how cheap an item is now based on the years I have owned it. But, nothing is cheap enough if it takes up space and just sits there. Ask yourself, "When was the last time I used this?" If it was over a year ago, pitch it. Give it to someone who can use it. Give yourself permission to part with those things your household no longer uses and needs.

I have also found it helpful to have a goal in mind when looking at a space. I picked a shelving unit in the basement, looked at Ben and said, "I will empty that shelf and we can either get rid of it or move it to the garage where it will be used better." It was helpful to imagine the shelf empty and to make a new plan for it. I did get rid of everything on it, either re-locating to a more efficient and convenient space or disposing of it. The shelf is now my "garage sale" spot for collecting items to be sold and then will be officially empty at the end of May after the sale. And ready for a new home.

Tackling small spaces like a set of shelves or even one shelf of a closet can be liberating and helpful in the long run. Most of us don't have the luxury of lots of time at once to tackle big projects. But, over the course of a few weekends, one could substantially alter for the better those pesky spaces you'd rather close off and pretend are not there.

Even the small stuff adds up. Recently I got rid of several paper clips; return address labels I will never use; manuals for appliances we no longer own; the Spanish version of manuals for the girls' cameras; a beautiful vase we received as a wedding gift, but no longer need; a coffee mug (how many do you really use at one time?)...all of this plus more added up to a lot of clutter.

So glad it's gone.

I doubt I will ever miss it.

Quilts and So Much More

I love it when worlds collide.  Here are some loves on mine all wrapped up in a wonderful ministry led by a local woman who is featured on the front page of our paper today.

St. Paul
Care for Kids
Sewing
Teaching Skills
Welcoming people to church
Working hard for a long time, not giving up or letting "getting old" get in the way
Neighborhood Havens
Resourcefulness

Check out the story here.

Find It

I inherited a few small items from my Grandma Clare. She died two years ago and outlived my other grandparents by several years. This is one thing that somehow ended up in my hands and I just found it after going through one of my quickly dwindling memorabilia boxes. I downsize daily. I have to. As new items enter the house through the front door, more go out the back into either a recycling bin or Goodwill box. This month I've also started a garage sale bin in preparation for our annual May sale.

Anyway, this is something I just can't part with. It's a game. Or an activity. Or a challenge. Or a bore. Or a rattle. Or something to shake when you are frustrated and can't find the thing. Or whatever you fancy.

It is one of those small plastic beverage bottles filled with bird seed and other tiny things to camouflage these eight items that Grandma put into the bottle.

Kind of hard to read her writing in this picture, but the items are a paper clip, toothpick, safety pin, penny, tic tac, button, marble and screw.

It took four of us able bodied folks a few hours over the course of a day to find each thing.

It's harder than it looks.

Try it!  It looks simple to make, uses household items, and will provide entertainment for a good long while.

You could stash one in your purse or diaper bag and have it on hand for those harried mom moments.

Or, you could store it for years high up in a hard to reach box that you force yourself to go through because you can't keep everything you once found precious.   If I did that, I'd need a much bigger closet.

But, then you would re-discover the Find It game and have a new challenge all over again.

Homemade Gifts - Part 3

A friend purchased one of these little purses or fabric envelops at the Crafty Planet for $5. Then she made a pattern for all of us in the sewing class to make our own. I have made several and love them!

 They are quick to make and practical in two ways. You can use up those many scraps of fabric you have lying around and they can hold lots of different little items. I am giving some of them as gifts with gift certificates or gift cards in them. 

I like this one with a coordinating fabric inside. It's like a little surprise when you open it.

And this one is a favorite because of the colors! I love the blues and greens.

It just needs a snap and its ready to go.

I have found that regular cotton fabric works, but home decorating fabric works better since it is a bit stiffer. I also use a lightweight interfacing for these purses to give them more shape.

Here is another favorite and one that Maddie gave to her teacher this year.

Each purse takes two pieces of fabric that are 6.5 inches wide, 10 inches for the sides and each diagonal side is 4 inches long. You simply sew the right sides together leaving an opening at the bottom. Turn the purse and push out the corners. Iron it and sew across the bottom to close it.  Then, fold the bottom up about 2/3 of the way and sew all around the purse. Fold down the top and iron. Add a snap and you're done!

Homemade Gifts - Part 1

This is actually more of a re-homemade gift.  I found this at a garage sale for $5 and immediately thought of my niece.

 (Of course my favorite part of this picture is the feet poking out.)

I bought it and saved it for a long winter day to work on fixing up for her birthday.

Here is the fixed up version. Ben helped by reinforcing the rockers, sanding, and painting, and the girls helped with the pining, ironing and sewing of the bedding. One doll will be very comfortable indeed.

Eight Little Words

Once in awhile I read Mary Hunt's advice in her weekly (maybe daily?) article published in our local paper titled Everyday Cheapskate. Often I find her advice on money and habits of thinking about money very helpful. This one captured my attention. She claims, "The secret for living below your means: Buy what you need; want what you have."

And those, my friends, are the eight little words to live by.

I repeat: Buy what you need; want what you have.

She goes on, "We need to take back control of our thoughts and actions from the culture around us, which works so hard to manipulate our actions. Recognize when you're being manipulated into buying something you don't really need. What's driving your decision? Can you really afford it? Do you even want it?"

One way I see the impact from "the culture around us" is to pay attention to the feelings I have as I leave the shopping mall, which is a rare occurrence because of soon-to-be-described feelings.  I can sometimes take on a feeling of dissatisfaction or saddness about the closet I am going home to upon leaving a shopping trip.  I trace back the feeling to a thought and can usually see that the thought behind the feeling is one like, "In order to be beautiful, I need to have an outfit that fits the trend of this month. Look, it's even on sale." Or, "In order to be a 'hip' looking mom, I need to have such and such to pull it off." Even a more fundamental thought, "I ought to be a 'hip' mom."  Thankfully, I am fairly tuned in to the pulls of advertising and marketing that lure my thoughts and spending to successfully accomplish their purpose.  I am also the first to admit that the retail world isn't all evil. Everyone has to market themselves well to earn money. I understand that. However, I think it is worthwhile to really recognize the artificial environment created in order to obtain business. It just helps to admit what you see and do a quick check, a few seconds of reflection. Mary's questions above are a start.

I have come to see that a period of waiting, even a few days can clarify my real intentions for a purchase or help me better answer the questions once I am back in my normal environment.

Okay.  Let me think about an actual temptation I deal with. I have these.

I want these. (I sneaked paparazzi style into my neighbor's yard and zoomed to capture a shot of these roses over her neighbor's fence.)

These pictures don't quite make the point, but you get the idea. I would love the larger blooms, the fragrance, the beauty of my neighbor's roses over my puny, non-fragrant current ones in the back yard.  Does this mean I take out the ones I have, purchase a new plant and patiently watch it grow to what I really desire? I'm not sure.  Even having the means to do such does not mean I have to do it.

I think I will have to wait and see. Ask myself the tough questions. And answer truthfully. Yikes. I may never have anything new ever ever ever again. Help!

Bye Bye, Europe. Hello, America! Or, the Best $5 Deal Ever.

Normally I would comment on the smile, the freckles, the uniform perfectly buttoned and belted. I would tell you about this 2nd grader almost turned 3rd grader who leaves the Medieval world of Europe and in three short months will study the exploration and settling of America.  I would tell you how proud I am of her - she blossomed in Reading and Spelling, persevered through Math, and collected over 120 stars for good behavior in the classroom.  I would tell you that her passion for reading, art and writing has spilled over to our dining room table where she sketches, copies funny quotes from books and shares stories from the day's work. It has made its way to her top bunk where she joyfully reads and explains the hard words to her doting 4 1/2 year old-dying-to-go-to-school-roommate.

But I won't tell you that today.

Today I will share with you one of my best $5 purchases ever. And its being modeled here by said 2nd grader almost turned 3rd grader above.

Five years ago, Daughter #1 (my 4th grader almost turned 5th grader) and I were braving the international (super fun) crowds of IKEA probably looking for a lamp or measuring shelves or something.  We entered the kitchen gadget area and spotted these backpacks. Now what they were doing in the kitchen area, much less at IKEA, a furniture store, I have no idea.  But, since Daughter # 1 was an almost Kindergartner I scooped it up; the price tag was $5 and I did not want the hassle of searching for a back pack anywhere else. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up.  And let me tell you...I was RIGHT.  In use now for 5 years and counting (that's $1 for each year), this backpack has been weighted down, kicked around, stuffed for sleepovers, dragged across concrete, passed down to the next kid, dragged some more, kicked, flung, you get the picture.  Except for a little fraying here and there I think it has a good two years left.

 That is, unless Daughter #3 my almost turned pre-schooler decides that this twice handed down backpack is just a wee bit to blue and green for her.  She's into pink and purple these days.  Oh, and very excited for the Kindergarten year to begin in 15 months, or about 450 days.

Should I have her start counting down now?


What's your best $5 deal?

First Farmer's Market Outing

Herbs, Pumpkin plant, Zucchini plant, Impatiens, Pepper plants, hanging plant...our first finds this summer.

Farmer's Market

 I love the pink flowers against the light green bush...no idea what type of bush this is. It may be the last thing in the yard that I have yet to identify.

My "herb garden".  I have big plans for the tarragon (top plant).  Will post the recipe soon.  Basil is just a staple and I hope to have an abundance at the end of the season to use for pesto. Last year I barely used the rosemary. I just love to smell it on the deck!

Trying to Imitate the Best

It turns out parent/child music classes offer more than I thought.  I noticed the amazingly cute wardrobe on this little girl during our six week session and through inquiry and the huge label on the back of the clothes found out about Matilda Jane clothing.  Much to my surprise (no, not really) I found the clothing online and the expensive price tags attached.  The real reason I choose not to buy a dress is they can only be purchased through Trunk Shows (similar to an Usborne Book Home Show, which any of you can host and I will gladly do for you anytime).  No, I confess, it was mostly the prices.  Even though I have been known to splurge on occasion, these prices were out of my range.  But, I fell in love with the clothing.  Like Izzy fell in love with ironing.  Only mine was a deeper love, like with the actual fabric and knotted straps.  So, I decided to try to sew one dress that even came close to the vision of these.

With Mary's tutoring and just plain taking over at certain points, I was able to piece together something that I can proudly call my first sewn dress.

 My Izzy. 

(Please try to ignore the rusty hand rail and weird residue on the front door. One of these days I will have a camera that blurs the background like the one above with cute Matilda model girl. Man, will that come in handy!)

In the last year I have also become acquainted with fabric designed by Amy Butler and have frequented Treadle Yard Goods to purchase fun fabrics.  Amy's fabrics helped bring Matilda's inspiration to life.  Thanks, Amy. Thanks, Matilda. Thanks, Cute Girl from Music Class and Big Huge Label on back of cute girl's dress.

P.S.  Notice how the blue fabric at the hem of her dress is strikingly similar to the background of this blog?  I salivate when I see these blues.

Learning from the Best

Izzy and I spent a Saturday recently with Aunt Mary. Our goal was to sew and learn all the tricks of the trade.  I especially needed the reminders about measuring, marking the line to cut, etc. I never have been good at being exact.  With Mary at my side I was able to successfully sew my first dress. More on that later.

Izzy was successful in making her very first pillow case and blanket for her doll.

She found that "sewing" meant lots of preparation before the actual stitching.  She's handles a scissors well.

As well as an iron. In fact, in as much as a four and a half year old can actually fall in love with something, I think it is safe to say that Izzy fell in love with ironing and has asked to do it since. Thank God! At least one person around here enjoys it.  Train 'em early I say.

And the finished product!  A bitty blanket and bitty pillow for her bitty baby (whose name changes like the wind).  

Well done, Isabel. Thank you for the generous giving of a whole Saturday, Mary!

A cold and cold weather

Well Maddie has been home sick with a fever and cold for three days now. With only one or two instances of strep EVER in our home, I am convinced it is a virus and will fade away. Had hoped to get to more gardening done this week and weekend, but the temp has dropped and wind is something fierce. I can really understand why "they" say to wait to plant until after Mother's Day. So, for now we wait patiently for health and pray against anyone else getting sick. The weekend is packed with fun, service and fellowship. I hope it can all be accomplished.

Yesterday I went through each room of the house looking for those items that we absolutely do NOT need or use. I have a small pile saved up to sell at our garage sale in two weeks. I like our small spaces since we cannot have much anyway, but I always look for new ways to be efficient or streamline our things and spaces. I usually use the rule that if it hasn't been used in one year, it probably will not be used again. I rarely regret getting rid of anything with this method of downsizing/cleaning house.